Teen claims abuse at hands of county

House probing juvenile facilities across the state

BILL MURPHY, Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Published
5:30 am CDT, Thursday, September 16, 2004

A Harris County juvenile detention officer repeatedly banged a 16-year-old boy's head on the floor after he refused to take off his clothes during a strip search, the boy testified at a state legislative hearing Wednesday.

"Every time I picked my head up, he slammed it back down," the boy said. "It busted my head open."

During the hearing at Houston City Hall, the boy was among several witnesses who said county officers had abused juvenile delinquents.

The House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues is investigating whether officers have abused detainees at juvenile facilities in Houston and elsewhere.

Harvey Hetzel, executive director of the county's juvenile probation department, said the committee "heard one side. They haven't heard the side that a grand jury and the probation commission have heard. There isn't rampant abuse at our facilities. Occasionally, a situation arises when we think a staff member has acted inappropriately and we deal with that."

Hetzel said an investigation by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission concluded in June that allegations of abuse at the facility were unfounded or could not be substantiated.

A Harris County grand jury probe likewise returned no indictments, Hetzel said.

A mother testifies

The House committee, chaired by Rep.
Harold Dutton
, D-Houston, is trying to determine whether the commission, which oversees juvenile detainees, should investigate juvenile facilities in the state and improve oversight of them.

She said her son misbehaved because employees did not give him medication prescribed to control his impulses.

The Chronicle is withholding her name and her son's to protect his identity because of his age.

Neither testified about why the boy was detained.

The mother said her son had a large bump on his head after the beating, but that detention center officials refused to take him to a hospital.

Hidden camera

A West Dallas detention officer, the Rev.
Humberto Nelson
, testified that detention center officials have punished him for exposing abuse.

Nelson said he carried a hidden camera into the facility for Channel 11 after the 16-year-old's mother gave the station the officer's name and asked a reporter to contact him.

A report broadcast in March included youths as young as 10 telling Nelson that they have been confined to their rooms without access to water for days as punishment.

One said his mattress was taken away because he did not say "yes, sir" to an officer.

Another said he was kept in a room with a filthy toilet.

Officer disciplined

Shortly after the report aired, Nelson testified Wednesday, he was taken off regular duty and put under investigation for not reporting the alleged abuse to his superiors or the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission.

He said he was told the commission is investigating him and that the county juvenile probation department may investigate.

For seven months, he has been assigned to a control room, where he watches monitor screens.